Naturalist Nights: Using Goats for Habitat Restoration on Public Land

Hilary Boyd, Wildlife Biologist with the Bureau of Land Management, Colorado River Valley Field Office

Humans have been working with goats for thousands of years. Now land managers and others are learning how to use goats to help restore and protect wildlife habitats. Goats eat noxious weeds, till and aerate the soil as they work, add organic fertilizer, reduce hazardous fuels, and much more. Learn how the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is using goats to increase plant diversity at Sutey Ranch, reduce noxious weeds after the Lake Christine Fire, and improve a variety of conditions for wildlife and livestock in other parts of the Roaring Fork Valley. 

About Hilary Boyd

Hilary Boyd has been a wildlife biologist at the BLM Colorado River Valley Field Office for over seven years and a resident of the area for over 15 years. She enjoys planning habitat projects that benefit greater sage-grouse, mule deer and elk, and other wildlife species. She has worked as a BLM fire ecologist, habitat specialist for the Arizona Game & Fish Dept., and seasonal for the NPS, USFS, and USFWS. Some of her best adventures are from her time managing grizzlies and humans in Katmai and Denali national parks and working in more remote parts of Alaska. She earned a B.S. and M.S. in wildlife biology from CSU and the Univ. of Arizona, respectively.

Note: This lecture will also be given on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 6pm at the Third Street Center in Carbondale. To register for that session, click here.

About Naturalist Nights

Each winter, ACES partners with Wilderness Workshop and Roaring Fork Audubon to co-host the popular Naturalist Nights speaker series, bringing a great line-up of experts to explore topics of the natural world with our community. To learn more about this series and view previous lectures, click here. Presentations are on Wednesdays at 6pm at the Third Street Center in Carbondale, CO, and Thursdays at 6pm at ACES at Hallam Lake, in Aspen, CO. 

COVID-19 Protocols

To help keep our community healthy, attendees ages 13 and older will be required at check-in to show proof that they have received the complete Covid-19 vaccine or a negative Covid-19 test on a specimen taken no longer than 72 hours prior to the event. Photo ID will also be required for verification. No information will be stored or copied to ensure privacy is protected. 

For proof of vaccination you can use:

• CDC Vaccination Card. A digital photo or photocopy of this card is also acceptable.
• Vaccination Record or other official immunization record, including from your healthcare provider. A digital photo or photocopy of this card is also acceptable.

For proof of a negative test you can use:

• Written proof of a negative Covid-19 test from a licensed healthcare provider that includes the date and time of the test as well as the result. A digital photo or photocopy is also acceptable.

Individuals who do not have proof of vaccination or a negative test result will not be permitted entrance. Masks are required regardless of vaccination status. All individuals age two and older are required to wear a mask indoors when within six feet of another person at all times except when temporarily eating and drinking. Mask wearing will be strictly enforced.

With questions or comments about this program, please contact Phebe Meyers, ACES Community Programs Senior Manager, at pmeyers@aspennature.org or call 970.925.5756.